AJ Diggle
by alayneni
Summary: Felicity is tutoring AJ at math when gunmen enter Big Belly Burger. Chaos ensues. Fluffy end.


**AJ Diggle**

 **An:** I do not own Arrow

 **Summary:** Felicity is tutoring AJ at math when gunmen enter Big Belly Burger. Chaos ensues. Fluffy end.

It had been a long time since Digg had mentioned Carly to the team. That relationship had crashed and burned. Digg didn't like to talk about it but when Carly called because AJ was acting out and failing school, he immediately turned to the team for advice. He, Oliver and Roy started taking AJ out to sporting games and Felicity and Laurel were helping him get his grades up. Thea was supposedly his personal cheerleader keeping his morale up.

That was how Felicity found herself at Big Belly Burger at 8:00pm on a Wednesday night explaining division to AJ. Usually she would be at the Lair but things had been going very slow lately so she decided to meet with AJ since she knew he had a test the next day that he was nervous about. She knew the rest of the team would be trying to beat the crap out of each other, aka training, in the lair. Oliver had promised to leave his Salmon Ladder routine till she came in later so at least she had something to look forward to tonight, not that she didn't enjoy spending time with AJ. It was just that she really enjoyed watching Oliver on the Salmon Ladder.

She had been there an hour and AJ finally felt like he could pass the test. Carly's shift was ending soon so Felicity started packing up the textbooks to leave. The door opened and two masked men entered the shop with guns. Felicity's heart dropped into her stomach as she pulled AJ to stand behind her.

S-2

Laurel and Thea were sparing when Laurel's phone started ringing.

"It's your dad," Roy called to her as he looked at the caller id.

Laurel gave Thea an apologetic look and walked over to her phone.

"Hi Dad," Laurel said,

Her features fell.

"We'll be there in five minutes." She said in a serious tone that indicated to everyone that it was urgent.

They all looked at her ready to grab their gear. She took a deep breath, her eyes cutting to Oliver immediately. She hated being the bearer of bad news. This particular set of news was going to shatter him.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked her. He knew that look.

"We need to get to Starling General, Felicity was shot during a robbery at Big Belly Burger."

"AJ and Carly!" Diggle exclaimed running for the exit hot on his Oliver's heels.

S-3

Oliver went barrelling into the waiting room of the ER looking for the nearest nurse to ask about Felicity's condition. A young boy called out to him and he recognised AJ right away. A nurse was seated with him.

"AJ, your uncle is right behind me." Oliver had driven the Ducati there and he may have jumped up on the pavement a few times to avoid some traffic. That meant he got there before dig. " Where is your mom?" he asked. The young boy pointed to the double doors that lead to surgery, tears falling down his face.

Oliver bent down to his level, "Don't worry, everything will be ok,"

"Are you family?" The nurse asked.

"AJ!" Diggle shouted as he came running in.

"Over here," Oliver called to Diggle.

Diggle immediately walked over and surveyed his nephew, there was blood on his shirt and Diggle started looking for wounds.

"It's not mine," AJ said looking at the double doors again. "Its Felicity's," Oliver tensed immediately.

"Where's Carly?" Diggle asked.

"Are any of you related to AJ?" the nurse asked.

"I'm his Uncle, John Diggle," he said firmly.

"Can I speak to you in private?" the nurse asked.

Diggle glanced at Oliver who indicated he would watch AJ. Diggle moved down the corridor with the nurse while Oliver sat with AJ.

"I'm sorry Mr. Diggle, but AJ's mother was killed at Big Belly Burger. We were waiting on social services to arrive to inform AJ. The doctors have examined him and found him physically unharmed."

Diggle took the news in calmly, "And Felicity is she ok?"

"Ms. Smoak is in surgery,"

"Will she pull through?"

"I can't discuss her case with you," the nurse said.

"Both Oliver and I are her medical proxies. If you check her file, you'll see we are authorised to act on her behalf."

The nurse nodded and headed towards the computer system to pull up Felicity's file. Diggle closed his eyes and tried to maintain his control. He had to remain strong for AJ. He pulled out his phone, hitting the speed dial for his wife.

"Sweety," he started before she cut him off with the usual response of 'you only call me sweetie when you want something'. He quickly explained what had happened to her.

After a few minutes, he returned to AJ who was already being comforted by Laurel and Thea. Roy and Oliver were standing a bit off to the side softly discussing something.

"How are they?" Oliver asked when Diggle returned.

"The nurse is double checking Felicity's file to ensure we are her medical proxies before they tell us anything."

"And mom?" AJ asked.

"Let's take a walk outside for a bit," Diggle said. He would not let some stranger break the news to AJ. He was his next of kin; it was his responsibility to tell his nephew.

AJ started crying harder, "She didn't make it, did she?" He hadn't seen his mother get shot. Felicity had prevented him from seeing that but he knew it was bad. Even after the men had left and she was bleeding out she had kept him by her side. She asked the EMT's to bring him to hospital with her. She made sure, he never saw her.

Diggle hugged his nephew. "Don't worry buddy. We're going to take good care of you. Your Aunt Lyla is already making arrangements for you to come and live with us. I'm sure Sara won't mind an older brother." Tears sprung to his eyes.

A doctor came through the door, "Family of Felicity Smoak?"

"Here!" everyone said at the same time.

"Immediate family only," the doctor responded.

"I'm her boyfriend. Her mother doesn't live here. She's given me the right to make any medical decisions for her. It should be in her file." Oliver said stepping forward.

The doctor eyed him sceptically before the nurse returned confirming it. Oliver followed the Doctor to the same spot Diggle spoke to the nurse in private.

"Ms. Smoak is going to be fine. We're moving her to the ICU now. The bullets didn't hit any major organs or archeries. Once the swelling goes down and she wakes up, she'll be moved from ICU. Only immediate family will be allowed to see her," The doctor said to him. Oliver let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

When Oliver returned to the others, he answered their unasked question, "She's alive. They are taking her to ICU now." Oliver said.

Detective Lance arrived with a woman in her forties. "Kid, this is Ms. Smith she's from Child Protective Services."

Diggle stepped in right away. "I am his Uncle. I will take responsibility for him."

"He'll have to go to child protective services tonight and then the paperwork can be sorted out tomorrow."

"He's not going anywhere but home with me." Diggle responded tersely.

Captain Lance intervened, "Based on the report from witnesses present during the robbery, the shooters were specifically targeting Carly and AJ. They wanted them both dead and they were not very happy when our girl," he look at Oliver, Felicity was not his alone, "refused to leave AJ. I figure she must have babbled at them because they didn't start shooting till the police sirens were close by. Until I am 100% certain that the shooters will not return, Felicity and AJ could still be in danger, so both will be under police protection."

Ms. Smith wanted to comment but Captain Lance cut her off, "CPS is not a good safe house. We will take him for tonight. Tomorrow you can work on the paperwork with Mr. Diggle."

"Very well," the woman responded tersely before leaving.

"You know he's safe with me," Digg said to Lance.

"I know, it's why you're house is going to be the safe house. The kid needs to be with family that love him as soon as possible," the police Captain admitted.

"Have you contacted Donna?" Oliver asked Lance.

"Yes she's on the first flight out. I'll collect her at the airport and bring her here."

The Doctor returned, indicating to Oliver that Felicity was in the ICU now. They would allow him to see her. As Oliver left, Lyla arrived. She took AJ in her arms and hugged him firmly completely ignoring her husband. Under normal circumstances Diggle would have felt highly insulted but his nephew needed Lyla more than he did. They were both hoping to give Sara a sibling but they never envisioned gaining in son like this.

"It's ok AJ. You're safe. We are going to take good care of you." She said softly to him.

"Yeah buddy, you don't need to worry about those men returning,"

"I know who did it." AJ said looking up at his Uncle. "It was mom's ex-boyfriend. She broke up with him last week."

S-4

Felicity's eyes slowly fluttered open. The last thing she remembered was the loud noise of the gun and pain erupting in her chest multiple times.

"AJ," she muttered her voice sounding hoarse.

"Shhhhh, he's ok," Oliver said to her raising her bed up so that he could offer her some water.

She took a little sip.

"Did they hurt him?" She asked.

"No you saved him."

"Good," Felicity smiled.

Oliver glared at her. "You know you scared the hell out of me. I think we need to have a talk about you taking bullets for people. I think it's becoming a tendency."

"If I could punch you right now I would," Felicity muttered.

"Felicity," Oliver said holding her hand tenderly, "There are many things in my life that I have survived but I would never be able to survive your death."

"I promised you that I wasn't going anywhere. I'm still here am I not? Unless this is some perverse dream because if it is why does my chest have to feel like it's on fire."

Oliver chuckled, no matter how dire the situation she always made him laugh. "I'll call the doctor for you. He can adjust your pain medication," He walked to the door and signalled to the nearest nurse that Felicity was awake.

"You look like you haven't slept for days." She said to him.

"That's because I haven't. You've been unconscious for two days. You spent 12 hours in ICU before they deemed you stable enough to move you to the private room we requested. I had to ensure you had 24 hour nurse support before they agreed to let me move you. Your mother is here. She went down to the cafeteria to bring up some food for us."

"Where is AJ? They killed Carly. I tried to shield him." She swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"We know. He told us everything. He's been asking every hour if you've woken up yet." Oliver said as he reached for his phone to text the group that she was awake.

"I suppose he's living with Dig now."

Oliver nodded. "Diggle took him home right away. He's sharing a room with Sara at the moment but they are looking for a bigger apartment now."

"Can they afford that? I could help out," Felicity offered. She had a little pet project that she had been working on before she became the CEO of Palmer Technologies. Now would be the perfect time to introduce the idea to everyone.

"Diggle says they are fine. Apparently, Lyla had saved most of her salary from ARGUS and they were going to start looking for a bigger place."

"I suppose the Board of Directors is most upset with me for missing the meeting yesterday," Felicity commented dryly.

"The company is fine. In fact you're being hailed as a hero. The CEO of a powerful corporate entity, tutoring an underclass kid in math and then stepping up to save his life. The Mayor is going to give you a medal," Oliver beamed at her.

"Oliver, you can't give me a medal. They will say you gave your girlfriend something she didn't deserve,"

He chuckled, "I thought you might say that," he opened a newspaper he had by the bedside for her to see the heading,

"Billionaire Saves Life of Kid, She Deserves a Medal!"

Oliver's phone started ringing, "It Thea," he said. "I can tell them to give you some time."

"It's ok, I'll just reassure them I'm alive." She said taking his phone from him and saying a few words to each member of the team before a nurse and a doctor arrived to examine her.

Captain Lance poked his head into Felicity's private room, "Kid," he called out softly as Felicity was asleep and Donna appeared to have dozed off as well now that she had been able to talk to her daughter. Both Laurel and Donna had informed him earlier that Felicity had opened her eyes and that she appeared to have no lasting effects from the incident. He still needed to take her statement but he knew both Oliver and Donna were prowling around Felicity like lions protecting their cub. Oliver's ire he could handle but not Donna's. That woman was a force of nature.

Oliver glanced at him and looked reluctant to leave her side. Lance rolled his eyes at him.

"I pay your salary," Oliver threatened moving closer to him.

The older man ignored his jibe. "Word on the street is that the drug dealer is looking to terminate the witnesses. They don't know where AJ is and everyone else from the diner is in police protection just in case they decide to go after one of them. They however know where Felicity is." Lance pointed out.

"Let them come," Oliver said clenching his fist. "My team and I will take care of them."

"As hard as this is for me to say, I need to remind you that they need to be alive,"

"They will be. Death is too good a punishment for what they've done,"

S-5

The following night a young police officer that was well built sat guard outside Ms. Smoak's private room. It was a quite night. Being a private ward, Ms. Smoak was the only occupant. There were two nurses at the nurse's station down the hall and a lonely janitor mopping the hallway. A nurse left her station and sashayed over to the officer with a message to take a call at the nurse's station from Captain Lance. He left his post and walked down the hallway to the station. He definitely noticed the three men with guns enter Ms. Smoak's room. Oh they were in for a very rude awakening.

"How long should we give them Roy?" the nurse asked.

"I think five minutes should be enough for your brother and Digg," Roy winked at her, "Have I told you how sexy you look in that outfit yet?"

"Not for the last five minutes no?" his girlfriend said cocking her head to the side playfully.

"Ok you two lovebirds break it up," the second nurse said.

"You are such a fun buster Laurel," Thea said, "We need to find you a boyfriend,"

"You may not have to look far Thea," Roy said in a teasing voice, "Ask her about Ted,"

Laurel rolled her eyes at the young boy, "Ted and I are just friends,"

"Right, Felicity used to say that about Oliver all the time when I used to tease her. Look where they are now," Roy said chucking his finger towards the room.

"Oliver's going to have to delay his proposal though," Thea commented. Felicity needed to be healthy enough to plan a wedding.

"Fat chance, I bet he's going to ask sooner than planned and marry her right away," Roy said.

"I'll take that bet," Thea said. "Loser has to do the other's laundry for a year."

They both looked at Laurel, "I'm not getting involved. We both know when Felicity finds out about the bet and she will find out, she'll give you the crappy shifts for a month."

"Coward," they both goaded but Laurel didn't budge,

An unconscious man landed in the corridor outside of the room making the janitor come over to them, "that's our clue to call in the cavalry," Captain Lance said, " I don't want to have to be hunting down the vigilante for murder."

Soon the police had arrived and carried three unconscious bloodied men down to the ER for treatment. It's a good thing they were already in a hospital.

Felicity had never been in the room, instead she was running comms for the mission from Diggle's apartment were Lyla, Sara, Nyssa and Malcolm Merlyn were guarding them in case they had AJ's location. Instead, The Green Arrow and his partner lay waiting for the men in Felicity's hospital room. Sin reported from the main entrance when the men entered the hospital and Felicity followed them on the cameras signalling to Thea to get Roy away from his post when they reached the private ward. They didn't want them shooting Roy indiscriminately to get inside the room.

Roy would win the bet when Oliver proposed to Felicity later that night. They were married at a private ceremony a week later.

S-6

1 year later a proud John Diggle welcomed the birth of his second child, a boy, Felix Oliver Diggle. AJ had been unsure of the new baby, especially when he was told it would be a boy. He thought his Uncle wouldn't need him anymore now that he was going to have a son of his own. Diggle had had a long talk with him reminding him that AJ was family. Not only was he a member of the Diggle family but he was a member of their larger extended family.

Digg and Lyla held a big family bar-b-que at their new house to celebrate the new addition to their family. A very pregnant Felicity was seated at a table with AJ and Connor, (Oliver's mystery son that appeared out of thin air) playing UNO. Felicity and AJ shared a special bond after the incident. When Connor arrived, after the tragic death of his mother in similar circumstances to AJ's, the bond was extended to Connor who quickly became best friends with them.

They all lived in a new development that Queen Incorporated had built in the ruined areas of the Glades. Their little family monopolised one cul-de-sac in the area, one high tech cul-de-sac that held part of the Arrow base of operations under their houses. Felicity had been working on the project when the company still belonged to Palmer Technologies. She wanted to create an area where it was easy for them to do their afterhours activities and live a life. With the addition of the children, it was an added bonus to have everyone close by in case of emergencies. Babysitting duties were certainly much easier.

Digg and Lyla owned one house. Next to them was Roy and Thea, much to Oliver's chagrin. Newly married, Laurel and Ted, were opposite Roy and Thea. Captain Lance owned one as well though he preferred to stay in his little apartment. He only ever visited the house when Sara and Nyssa or Donna was in town.

"Uno," AJ said giggling. One round later, AJ predictably won.

"I wanna play," a two year old Sara whined.

AJ jumped off his chair and dragged another over for Sara. Both boys then helped the little girl on to the chair but it wasn't high enough for her to see onto the table.

"We need a taller chair," Connor pouted to Felicity.

"Why don't the three of you play hide and seek instead with her," Felicity suggested pulling out her tablet so that she could keep track of them on it.

All three faces lit up. They loved hide and seek. There were so many different spots in all the houses. Finding someone could take hours.

"Uncle Roy and Aunt Thea will play with you guys," she said volunteering the young couple to keep an eye on them.

"Who's it?" Connor asked.

"Roy of course," Felicity said as she finally caught Thea attention and called her over.

"What up?" Thea asked shoving her hands into her back jeans pocket.

"We are playing hide and seek and Uncle Roy's it," AJ said excitedly.

"Great," Thea said lifting Sara easily into her hands. "Let's get a head start then,"

They disappeared inside with a chorus of laughter. The baby in Felicity's stomach kicked hard.

"Oh I know you want to join them little one. One more week and you'll be here with us," she said rubbing the spot on her stomach.

"He kicked again?" Oliver asked giving her a plate of ribs he had been grilling for her at the bar-b-que.

"Yes," she smiled softly immediately picking up the rack to break one off.

"I've got to get back before Roy burns the burgers,"

"Oh can you tell him he's it again and the kids are waiting for him to find them."

Oliver rolled his eyes, "You want to give him any hints? You know it took him half a day the last time to find them and they were right behind his back following him through the house. How he finds criminals at night is a mystery to me."

Felicity glanced down at her tablet, she could see on the security feed where they were, "No. He's flying solo on this."

Oliver bent down and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips, "I love you,"

"I love you too," she said.

As soon as Roy went in search of the children, AJ reappeared and sat next to her.

"Bored already?" she asked.

"Nah, he'll never think to check back here. Besides, I can see where he is on your tablet."

"That's cheating AJ,"

Even with the happy smile he gave her she didn't miss his hands reaching for her ribs. She swatted it away, "Go ask your Uncle for your own plate,"

"Gosh, dad was right. Pregnancy does make a woman violent."

"I can tell Roy where to find you," Felicity threatened him.

"I'm going," AJ said hurrying off to the grill where Digg and Oliver looked like they were debating the correct cooking method for the burgers. AJ easily got sucked into the conversation.

"It's amazing how easily AJ fit in," Lyla commented sitting next to Felicity. She was rocking Felix to sleep.

"It's like he was always here with us. I can't even imagine what it would be like without him here. It's the same with Connor and he's only been with us for three months."

Lyla nodded absently. "Oh look, Laurel finally decided to surface with Ted," Lyla commented as Ted gave his wife a piggyback ride into the backyard.

"At least Oliver and I weren't that bad," Felicity said.

"No, you **are** much worse," Lyla teased her.

Felicity glared playfully at her friend. Who would have ever thought that Team Arrow would get to have a normal bar-b-que in the back yard with friendly banter and happy kids running around playing. She made sure to enjoy every blissful minute because she knew firsthand how tragedy could strike at a moments notice. Roy would never find the kids that day but then considering who their parents were, it was no surprise that they had learned how to be stealthy.


End file.
